


A Royal Correspondence

by GirlGladiator



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Pen Pals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-21 02:09:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1533740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlGladiator/pseuds/GirlGladiator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unfortunately, after assisting with the takedown of the Donquixote Family, the officers of the Revolutionary Army couldn’t afford to stick around in Dressrosa.  To make sure things are going smoothly for the new monarchy, Sabo writes to check in with the Rikus, and ends up acquiring an unlikely pen pal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not romance-centric, however there are a few scenes that could suggest sabecca or saboala pairings (depending on how you read the story) - just a heads up if you aren't interested in that. If you like this fic I'd love to hear from you in the comments or on tumblr [(here's a link to my page)](http://rebeccariku.tumblr.com)!

_To His Royal Highness, King Riku Dold III, his family and heirs, and the Dressrosa advisory council,_

_While it is not always the policy of agents of the revolution to follow up with allied countries through written correspondence, unfortunate circumstances forced us to leave your country rather quickly after the restoration of the crown._

_On behalf of Monkey D. Dragon, our leader and commander, and myself, the revolutionaries’ chief of staff, I offer our apologies.  We will be sending agents to follow up on the status of Dressrosa very shortly.  Should you require assistance rebuilding, unifying, or restoring peace with your neighbouring countries, please do contact us.  Your people have offered us allegiance and we have done little as of yet to support you in turn - but we are a group pledged to freedom and to serving the free, and we will not forget our purpose!_

_Sincerely,_

**_Sabo_ **

_Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff_

_on behalf of_

**_Dragon_ **

_Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army_

***

Rebecca read the letter over a few times, her expression growing more quizzical with each pass.  _So formal!_ she thought. _Is this really the way the revolutionary army operates?_   Somehow, when Sabo and Koala had told her about their identities, Rebecca had imagined something more like a band of misfits sailing around and firing cannons at government ships.  _Clearly,_ she thought, _I have no idea what it means to be a revolutionary._

King Riku had been the one to hand her Sabo’s letter earlier that morning. “You know these people better than I do. Maybe you can think of a nice reply,” Rebecca’s grandfather had said.

He was probably trying to teach her more about her royal duties or something.  Rebecca wasn’t really interested.  But… she recalled Sabo’s quirky smile when he was dressed as Lucy in Corrida Colosseum, and figured there were worse people to be stuck writing polite letters to.

It had been a few weeks since she had been freed from her contract as a gladiator, and regained her title as Princess of Dressrosa, all at once.  Rebecca was still learning how to deal with her new life- and with her father in particular, because he was certainly more bizarre and affectionate in person than the toy soldier she had grown up with.  In fact, none of the Riku family members were quite what Rebecca had imagined her relatives would be like.

Kyros was insistent that his daughter keep her swordplay in top form, so she was subjected to daily sparring practice, on top of her lessons in royal politics.  Viola had offered to teach her how to behave like a lady; unfortunately, dancing was most of her curriculum, and Rebecca was not so gifted as her aunt in that respect.  As for her grandfather, King Riku was so busy piecing the kingdom back together after the Donquixote family disaster that he hardly had time to see her.  When he did, he would always have some kind of work for her to do, with the suggestion that it would make her a better queen when it was her turn.  All in all, life as a princess of Dressrosa was becoming quite a handful for the sixteen-year-old.

Not that Sabo’s letter made life as a revolutionary seem any less arduous - as Rebecca read his neat, curly handwriting over one more time, she grimaced.  _What on earth am I going to reply?_

She sat down at the polished wooden writing desk her father had made for her and pulled out a sheet of paper, as well as a pen.  After tapping it against the desk for a few moments, she began to mark her thoughts down at last.

***

_Hi Sabo,_

_It’s Rebecca, remember me?  Well, I guess it’s Princess Rebecca now, but you don’t have to call me that, of course.  We fought in the colosseum together, so we’ll always be comrades, even if I’m royalty and you’re a revolutionary… however that works._

_Honestly, I’ve read your letter about ten times and I still don’t understand some of it.  Do you really send people out to all of the countries you’re allied with just to check up on them?  That sounds like quite a job.  And if you’re the chief of staff, all of those people must be your responsibility, right?  I thought being a revolutionary would be more about freedom and adventure!  I guess sometimes you have to do boring work in order to get to the fun parts, though._

_It’s kind of like being a princess.  I love visiting the Tontatta people to talk about their gardening.  I like getting dressed up to give speeches with my grandpa.  But I also have to do all of the hard stuff, like reading history books with my new tutor, practicing my sword fighting with dad… and writing detailed responses to formal letters when the king tells me to.  Like right now._

_Anyway, to give you a proper answer, I think Dressrosa is doing fine at the moment.  We’ve been slow to rebuild the damaged parts in town, but the Tontatta are being a great help, and all of the townspeople are so cooperative.  I don’t think we need any extra assistance.  Besides, my grandpa says that when the country works together like this, it makes us all stronger!  But it also means we’re all very busy all the time._

_Are you really busy right now, too?  I imagine you and Koala probably always have something to do, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you guys again.  If you have business on any of the nearby islands and you want to stop by for a visit, you’ll get a royal welcome, I promise!_

_But if you don’t have time for that, maybe you could write to me again sometime?  Being responsible for regular correspondence would give me an excuse to put off my history readings…_

_Good luck with the revolution and stuff, anyway!_

**_Rebecca_ **

_Princess of Dressrosa_

_(does everyone put their title under their name? it looks fancy like this!)_

 


	2. Chapter 2

_That was kind of endearing,_ Sabo thought as he finished reading the letter he had just received from Princess Rebecca of Dressrosa.  He grinned at her signature ( _does everyone put their title under their name?_ ), then rolled the letter back up into a tight scroll and left the main deck to return to his office.

Once inside, he removed his trademark top hat and hung it next to the door.  There was a stack of paperwork sitting on Sabo’s desk, looming over him as he sat down and pulled out a pen.  Just as he was about to scrawl down an address, he heard a knock at the door.

“It’s me!” Koala announced.  He could practically hear her grin in her words.

“Come in!”

The revolutionary army’s substitute fishman karate instructor pushed Sabo’s office door open and marched in, cheerful as ever.

“I heard you got a letter!”  She picked up his huge stack of paperwork and plopped it on the floor, so she could sit on his desk.

“Sooo…” she continued. “Where is it?”

Sabo handed over Rebecca’s letter.  As Koala unrolled it and began to eye the princess’s messy handwriting, Sabo smiled.

“She’s an interesting one, our gladiator princess,” he remarked.

“How cute!  She asked us to visit her.  I’d love to go back, but…”

Sabo shook his head.

“I know,” Koala replied, “our next task is too important for us to make any more delays.  You _are_ going to write back to her, though, right?”

“I was starting my reply just now, when you interrupted me!” Sabo chuckled.

“Good!” Koala slipped off the desk and dusted off her skirt. “I’m giving a quick refresher on throwing techniques this afternoon.  You should come!  Your new powers could really use more… discipline…”

Sabo scratched the back of his head. “I’ll think about it.”

“Sure you will.” Koala rolled her eyes.  “Say hi to the princess for me!”

She left quickly, closing the door behind her, but the fresh air out on deck still brushed into the office.  Sabo’s hat swayed on its hook, and the paperwork on the ground swirled into a mess from the breeze.

“There goes my afternoon,” Sabo mumbled to himself, but he ignored the mess and returned instead to his letter.

***

_Dear Rebecca,_

_It is refreshing to receive a royal correspondence that isn’t just a formal report with polite requests and thank-yous!  Your letter definitely made me smile._

_I’m glad to hear you’re doing your best at being princess, and that you haven’t given up your sword practice!  Koala had a good view of the fights in the colosseum, and she said you were quite the talent.  Is your dad still going to lead Dressrosa’s army, by the way?  Maybe you can help him out with that when you’re a bit older, if you get tired of playing diplomat!_

_Unfortunately, it’s probably going to be a while before I can visit Dressrosa again.  The revolution is moving on to a very important job at the moment (I’m afraid I can’t tell you more than that.  It’s top secret!), so I’m going to be pretty busy for some time._

_But don’t worry, I’m not so busy that I can’t afford to write to you every once and a while!  Besides, it will be a nice change of pace from the rest of the paperwork I have to do.  And having a pen-pal is character-building (you can tell that to your tutor)._

_I’ll look forward to your next letter!_

**_Sabo_ **

_PS. Koala says hello!_

_PPS. I’m terribly sorry for the burn marks… I think everything is still legible?_


	3. Chapter 3

When Rebecca first unrolled Sabo’s second letter and saw the crispy lower corner and scorched hole next to his signature, she laughed so loudly that she startled all of the guards in the great hall.

“Looks like somebody’s still having trouble with his fire powers,” she remarked.

A familiar hand tapped her on the shoulder, startling her.

“Aunt Viola!”

“What’s got you smiling like that, princess?”

Rebecca blushed a bit at her aunt’s comment.  She put a hand to her face when she noticed the warmth rushing to her cheeks. _What am I embarrassed for?_ she thought.

“I got a letter from a friend.  It seems he can’t fully control his devil fruit yet…” She held up the letter to show Viola the burn marks.

Viola scanned the paper, curious.  “ _Dear Rebecca_? Is that any way to address a princess?  He must be an important friend.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock, but before she could stutter any kind of rebuttal, her aunt winked at her.

“I’m only kidding, darling.  It’s nice that you have someone to write to.  Is he one of the pirates who helped us?”

“One of the revolutionaries, actually.  Grandpa told me to write to him.”

“I see.  That’s all well and good, then.  It doesn’t hurt for us to be in touch with their cause!”

Rebecca smiled.  “I think so too!  If they need any help, I’ll be sure to find out about it.  It’s my first diplomatic responsibility as princess.”

Viola ruffled Rebecca’s hair, to her niece’s discontent.

“Hey, stop that!  You can’t treat me like a little kid.  I’ve got real royal duties now!”

“You do.  And I think one of those duties involves reporting to the yard for training with Captain Kyros, doesn’t it?”

With a dramatic sigh, Rebecca nodded.  It _was_ about time for her sword practice.  She would have to think of a reply for Sabo afterward.

***

Three hours later, after polishing her practice weapon and changing out of her sweaty clothes, Rebecca was dismissed from training.  She climbed up to her bedroom in the castle tower and sat down on her bed to re-read the letter from that morning.

As she finished her second read-through, she groaned, rolled over and covered her face with one arm.  _I actually managed to get a cool person to write letters to me, and I can’t think of anything to say!  Am I supposed to tell him about what I ate for lunch?  Or complain about how many times dad knocked my helmet off today?_

Eventually, Rebecca sat up and pulled herself together, making her way to her writing desk to work on a letter.

***

_Hi Sabo,_

_Yes, my dad was reinstated as the captain of Dressrosa’s army.  I don’t know if he’d ever want me to take his place, but sometimes I think about joining him.  Maybe I could be vice-captain.  Or captain of the royal guard!  I think I’d do better protecting people than fighting them.  I don’t really like hurting anyone, even bad people.  So I guess I probably wouldn’t make a very good revolutionary, either._

_Not that I think what you’re doing is wrong or anything!  I just mean that if I ever wanted to... oh, never mind.  I’m making a mess of this letter already.  I should talk about something else._

_There is going to be a party for my seventeenth birthday soon!  It won’t be very big, because we’re still rebuilding the castle, but everyone in town is invited.  I’m looking forward to it.  I’m especially excited to see how they’ll set up the gardens, because I heard some of our friends from Green Bit were visiting the other day…_

_I hope your top-secret revolutionary mission goes well!  Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about that, since it’s a secret and all.  You can tell Koala I said hello, too.  If you’re having trouble with your fire powers, maybe you should get her to show you her martial arts.  My dad says that kind of discipline is valuable to any fighting style!_

_Best wishes,_

**_Rebecca_ **


	4. Chapter 4

“See?  Even Rebecca says a little fishman karate might help you out!”  Koala said, shaking the letter at Sabo.

“I can’t believe you read my mail before I did.  That’s rude, you know?”

“Hey, she’s my friend too!  I was just curious what she’s been up to!  No need to be so protective.  You’re not writing anything I can’t see, are you?”  Koala tilted her head as she questioned Sabo.

“O-of course not!  She’s a princess.  And she’s much too young for me,”  Sabo stuttered.

“Oh?” Koala perked up.  “You mean, you might be interested if she were older, is that it?”

“That isn’t what I…”  Smoke began to rise off of Sabo’s head as he literally fumed at Koala’s teasing.  He patted his hair down. “I have no intention of instigating anything more than a friendly correspondence with Princess Rebecca,” he said coolly.

“Good, because it’s as easy for me to write to her father as it is for you to write to her…”

Sabo snatched the rolled-up letter from Koala’s hands and walked briskly off to his office. Koala shrugged, watching him go.

From across the deck of their ship, Ivankov snuck over to Koala as Sabo disappeared behind his office door.

“Is something bothering our little chief?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Who knows with that one,” Koala said.  “Maybe he’s just being his usual oddball self.”

***

_Greetings from your revolutionary friends!_

_I say this only because it seems I’m not the only one reading your letters… today Koala beat me to opening my own mail.  That’s what happens when you live with a close-knit bunch, though.  Sometimes they lack boundaries._

_Happy birthday, by the way!  Your celebration will probably already have come and passed by the time you receive this letter, so I hope you had an enjoyable time.  It’s good that they are taking their time to make Dressrosa’s castle as beautiful as possible if it’s a place for everyone to enjoy.  I’m sure by the time I’m next able to visit, it will really be a sight to see!_

_By the way, between your insistence and Koala’s persistence, it looks like there will be some fishman style karate lessons in my near future.  I hope she’ll take it easy on me, otherwise it might be a while before you hear from me again._

_Talk to you soon (hopefully!)_

**_Sabo_ **


	5. Chapter 5

Rebecca squeezed her eyes closed and scrunched up her nose, trying as hard as she could to imagine Koala giving Sabo karate lessons.  In theory it was an amusing image, but trouble was, it had been months now since she had seen either of their faces.  Her memory was getting foggy.  What shade of brown was Koala’s hair?  Was Sabo’s nose thin and pointed or small and round?  

The idea that she was forgetting her friends’ faces was a little painful, so Rebecca gave up on trying to picture what Sabo’s letter described and put the paper aside.  Her long pink hair tumbled down her shoulders as she undid her usual braids and prepared to get into bed.  

 _It’s kind of them to keep writing to me_ , she thought as she lay down on silken sheets that still felt a bit too soft and smooth for her.  _It’s not as though they’re obligated.  I’m not my grandfather - I’m not the important royal ally they want to keep.  And surely being a member of the revolutionary army is a dangerous and hectic job, let alone a high-ranking officer…_

Rebecca’s thoughts trailed off as she became more and more drowsy.  Soon, the worries were gone, replaced with fonder memories.  _Small and round,_ she noted before slipping into a comfortable sleep, _his nose is small and round._

***

_Dear Sabo,_

_How is the karate coming along?  Or have you managed to master that devil fruit by now?  It’s been a few months, after all.  Just how long does it take to learn those things?  I asked Aunt Viola, but she just said “it’s different for everyone.”_

_Lately, I’ve been getting a lot better at swordfighting.  Even my father is impressed.  He wasn’t too impressed when I asked him if I should join the royal guard, though.  I guess I still have a long way to go if I want to prove my worth in that respect._

_You know what else?  The other day I heard that the Straw Hat Pirates have been stirring up all kinds of trouble with some big-name people… the Four Emperors, I think they were called?  I try to read the news as often as I can, but sometimes I still need things like that explained to me.  I’m doing my best to keep up with what all of my friends are doing, though.  So if you guys get into any trouble, I’m going to know right away!_

_Take care of yourself._

**_Rebecca_ **


	6. Chapter 6

_Hi Rebecca!_

_Koala here.  Don’t be alarmed; Sabo’s fine, he’s just recovering from some injuries because we had a bit of a close call recently… it’s probably better if I don’t go into details.  What matters is we’re all in one piece, and we accomplished what we set out to do!_

_He’s trying to dictate this letter to me, but I don’t feel like writing down exactly what he says.  To be honest, the guy’s a little too wordy sometimes.  It’d do him good to put things bluntly once in a while._

_I think he did give the fishman karate lessons his best go, but water-based fighting styles and fire-based devil fruit powers are just not a good match.  He is starting to get the hang of the mera-mera no mi thing, though (he’d tell you he’s an expert at this point, but that claim is a little dubious.)  Your aunt does know what she’s talking about.  In fact, some people probably never learn everything there is to know about their own devil fruit powers!  Don’t tell Sabo I wrote that, though.  He’s an optimist who can’t accept his own learning curve._

_Anyway, congratulations on the sword stuff.  Keep at it!  I never thought I’d get to the level of an instructor in fishman karate (I am human, after all,) but look at me now!  I’m sure one day you’ll be an excellent guardswoman (if that's what you want to be).  Sabo thinks so, too (I can tell because he’s nodding at me right now.)_

_If it’s true that you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’ll know what we got up to soon enough!  It was a bit of a personal achievement for Sabo; that’s all I’ll say for now.  Maybe he’ll share more when he can write to you himself._

_By the way, I know we can take a while to reply at times, but I hope you’ll continue to write to us.  Sabo really looks forward to your letters.  He’s kept every single one of them in the top drawer in his office (but don’t tell him I know about that, okay?)_

_He’s on the road to a quick recovery, or so our doctors say, so I’ll get him to write to you again soon.  In the meantime, please don’t worry about us!   This letter is getting too long for my taste.  In fact, I’m running out of paper, so I’ll have to cut Sabo off here._

_Keep doing your best!_

_Your friends,_

**_Sabo and Koala_ **

***

“No, you can’t read it!  You don’t need to, anyway.  You told me what to write, so you know what’s in the letter!”

“I know that’s not exactly what you wrote, Koala!” Sabo said, reaching for the paper with one heavily-bandaged arm.

“Don’t try to grab it from me.  You are a sorry sight right now, and you need to rest.  I’m going to go send this off with the mail.”

Koala left Sabo’s bedside and walked out onto the main deck.  Ivankov was already outside, rocking on his feet, waiting for the news coo to deliver the day’s paper.

“How is our Sabo boy doing?” he asked.

“Much better than yesterday.  I let him dictate a letter to Rebecca, and he got rather lively over it.”

“Rebecca?”

“Oh, you know.  The princess of Dressrosa!  The one he’s been writing to all year since we restored the monarchy there with the help of the Straw Hat pirates.”

“Ah!  Is she the one who was also a gladiator?  Women in armour are a formidable force; she must make an intriguing princess!”

“She was… she is, yes.  How did you know about that, though?  You weren’t with us, and I don’t think the colosseum fights were in the news reports–“

“Why, I think it was our Sabo boy who told me.”


	7. Chapter 7

_Rebecca,_

_Apologies for the bizarre and likely inaccurately-transcribed letter you received from Koala on my behalf.  She wouldn’t let me read it once she finished writing, so I am, of course, suspicious of its content.  Hopefully, she didn’t say anything too terrible about me._

_Regardless, I hope you are doing well.  I am feeling much better myself; I’m nearly back to my full strength since the Goa Kingdom incident.  You may have heard some of that by now - we sabotaged the walls surrounding that kingdom’s aristocracy to allow all of the classes to integrate.  Some of our agents are still working there to help with the integration of the poorest, outermost region known as the Grey Terminal.  It will probably be a while before the people there are completely at peace again, but the change will absolutely be worth the struggle._

_You see, I grew up in the Goa Kingdom.  I was born to a noble family there, and I witnessed the segregation and terrible treatment of the lower classes by those nobles firsthand.  It was quite tough for me to return and deal with the so-called demons of my childhood, but again, I knew it had to be done.  I have high hopes for the reform that will happen now that we have broken down the walls._

_Sometimes, you have to make difficult decisions in order to get the best outcome in the end.  I’m sure you’ll come to understand that more as you come into your role, queen or captain, whichever you may choose._

_I hope you’ll write to me again soon.  I’m curious about what’s happening at Dressrosa’s castle.  I can’t believe it’s been more than a year since we started writing to one another.  Time sure flies when you’re fighting for freedom!_

_Talk to you soon,_

**_Sabo_ **

***

Koala’s letter had made her laugh, but when Rebecca received a follow-up letter from Sabo a few weeks later, she felt her heart sink a little.  He sure was all about responsibility and pursuing the goals of the revolution.  Koala had told her not to worry about them, but the heavy history and talk of injuries lately made Rebecca very uneasy.

She was contemplating a response later that evening, when her staring match with the blank piece of paper was interrupted by a knock at her door.

“Rebecca, may I come in?”

“Yes, father,” she replied.  She stood up and opened the door for Kyros, who stumbled through looking quite exhausted.

“You can sit on my bed!”  Rebecca insisted when she saw his eyelids drooping.

“It’s fine!  I wouldn’t want to make it dirty.” Kyros shook his head and held up a hand.

Rebecca rolled her eyes, but she didn’t press the issue.  “What did you come to tell me?”

“Rebecca.”

“Yes?” she asked, trying to be patient.

“You aren’t interested in… marriage, are you?”  It seemed Kyros could hardly spit out the question; as though it were causing him pain just to think about it.  “You’re nearly an adult, and–“

“My eighteenth birthday isn’t for a few months!  Where did this idea come from?” Rebecca stood up to see eye to eye with her father.

Her defiant gaze was making Kyros nervous, and he mumbled his reply.  “King Rik- er, your grandfather was concerned.  Your mother was not too much older when she requested to marry me, after all.”

“Well, I’m not interested!  I just want to work on my swordsmanship and diplomacy, and-“

“Penmanship?”  Kyros asked, looking to the pen and paper scattered across his daughter’s desk.

“There’s no need for you to be so protective,” Rebecca said.  She blushed and grabbed Sabo’s letter from the desk, hiding it behind her back.  “I’m just writing to my friends.  You know, the revolutionaries who helped us.  It’s an important royal correspondence!  And grandfather was the one who made me do it in the first place.”

“I see,” said Kyros.  He eyed the desk, his face wearing the look of a concerned parent, but he asked no further questions.


	8. Chapter 8

_To the officers of the revolutionary army:_

_I am not sure who among you has been responsible for writing to my daughter, but she has become too secretive as of late, and I am beginning to suspect that her letter-writing habit is the reason!_

_Rebecca is a talented swordfighter and an intelligent young woman!  She has been keeping up with her studies well enough, but if this changes, I will personally put an end to this correspondence.  You are supposed to be a professional organization, and an ally to Dressrosa, so you must treat our princess with the respect she deserves._

_I’ve got my eye on you!_

**_Kyros_ **

_Commander of Dressrosa’s Army_

***

Ivankov laughed at the chicken-scratched letter for nearly ten minutes before anyone else came to the mail room to see what the matter was.  Even then, it took the enormous man another minute to calm himself down and offer an explanation.

“Inazuma!  That Sabo boy is being scolded by a concerned father, in long-distance form, for writing letters to his daughter!  I cannot handle it!”

Inazuma took Kyros’ letter into her hands and gave it a quick once-over.

“Hmm.  It does look that way, doesn’t it!  Shall I bring it to him?” she asked.

“Bah ha ha!  Of course not!  I would like to write a reply to this.  I am looking out for our dear Sabo boy.  If he knew the princess’s father was worried, he might reconsider writing to her so often.”

“And we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Inazuma smiled, taking a sip from her morning glass of wine.

“No, we would not,” Ivankov replied with a wink.

***

_Dear Sir Commander Kyros,_

_I, Emporio Ivankov, one of the commanders of the revolutionary army, would like to inform you that we have received your warning!  I can assure you that the person responsible for writing to your beloved daughter is a very simple, kind-hearted boy with good intentions.  There are many of us who are supervising this correspondence, so do not worry!  There will be no ill suggestions made to your daughter, and no discussions inappropriate for a princess sent through our mail.  I swear to see to this myself, or else you may call me a liar and an ugly sea lion! (Please do not call me a sea lion.)_

_Yours truly,_

**_Iva_ **


	9. Chapter 9

_Sabo, I am so, so sorry! I know my dad sent you a letter, and he means well, but he’s not the most eloquent man in the world, so it must have come off a little harsh. It’s very sweet that Dad still wants to look out for me, but I’m not a child anymore, and I’ll write letters to whomever I want!_

_I received your letter about the Goa Kingdom - I never would have guessed that you were once a noble.  I’d like to hear more about that story someday.  I hope we’ll have a chance to meet again, so you can tell me in person!_

_As for my future, well, my eighteenth birthday is only a month away.  Apparently it’s customary for me to gain a title at this time - there should be a ceremony for it and everything!  I’m afraid that my grandfather wants to name me crown princess.  I’ve told Dad that that’s not what I want; at least, not now.  Aunt Viola would make an excellent queen, and I’ve got other goals in mind…_

_What other goals?  You’ll have to wait and see!  In the meantime, I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you again._

**_Rebecca_ **

_P.S.: Don’t be afraid of my dad.  He may have been the most infamous gladiator in Corrida Colosseum history, but nowadays he flinches when he accidentally steps on a flower in the garden._

***

“I don’t know what she’s going to do, but I feel like I should suggest she not do it,” Sabo said, holding his top hat in both hands and fidgeting with the brim as he looked to Koala for advice.

They were sitting together in his office, reviewing Rebecca’s letter, which Koala had once again brought to Sabo pre-opened.

“What kind of attitude is that?” Koala asked with a grin.  “That doesn’t sound like something Mr. Adventure, leader of the revolution, would say.”

“I- hmm.” Sabo sighed.  “You’re right, it is a little uncharacteristic of me.  For some reason, I just feel very unsettled by the rebellious tone of her writing, and-“

“Are you worried about her?”

“Worried? No, no, she’s a previously undefeated gladiator, a warrior princess; she can handle herself!”

“Sabo.”

“Yes?”

“The desk is on fire.”

Sabo leapt up, grabbed his hat, and beat out the small flames that had sprung to life on the corner of his writing desk.  When the last of the fire had been extinguished, he collapsed into his chair.  Koala was doing her best to suppress her laughter.

“Just say it!” Sabo demanded.

“Your denial is so adorable!  When was the last time you had a crush like this?”

“I do not have a crush on Rebecca.”

“Your hair is smoking.”

Frantically, Sabo patted at the alleged flames on his head.  When he realized there were none, he scowled.

“That’s enough teasing for one day, Koala!  Just, _please_ , help me decide what to write back to her!”

***

_Dear Rebecca,_

_I hate to say it, but your last letter made me just the slightest bit concerned for your wellbeing.  Are you all right?  Is life at Dressrosa Castle treating you well enough?  You don’t sound upset with any of your family.  Is it just that you aren’t feeling ambitious toward the title of Princess?_

_I suppose I can understand; after all, you would make an excellent soldier.  Given time, your father will probably support the idea.  The ambiguity is making me wonder, though.  It’s a shame I won’t be able to attend your celebration - Koala and I are still rather far from Dressrosa.  I’d like to hear the official announcement, but maybe you can just include your new title when you write to me next?  I’ll offer proper congratulations then._

_At the moment we are travelling a lot, doing some recruiting at Commander Dragon’s request, so I apologize if it takes me longer than usual to reply to you.  But the good news is: if all goes well, we may be in the vicinity of your home island in the next year or so!  Perhaps we can visit you in the not-so-distant future._

_Best of luck with your new pursuits!_

**_Sabo_ **


	10. Chapter 10

_I feel terrible making all of these arrangements behind their backs as well, Sir Kyros, but just think of the happiness it will bring your daughter if all of our plans come through.  I understand that you are nervous, but you mustn’t write to me for the next little while, or I fear you will ruin the surprise!_

_Trust me!_

**_Iva_ **

***

The morning of Rebecca’s eighteenth birthday arrived rather unspectacularly.  The sun shone outside her bedroom window, reflecting off of the luscious green of the castle gardens.  It was looking to be a beautiful, warm day.

 _It’s a bit early, but I think I’ll get up and go down for a walk_ , thought Rebecca. _The flowers look amazing right now, and there’s probably no one in the gardens…_

As she looked out at the castle courtyard, her assumption was disproven when she saw a growing crowd gathering at the garden gates.  Puzzled, Rebecca rose from her bed and slipped into a plain white shirt and her sparring pants.  She pulled her old green cloak around her shoulders and reached for the handle- when her door creaked open on its own.

“Rebecca,” a familiar voice whispered through the open crack.

“Father?  What on earth are you doi-“

“Shh!  Are you dressed to travel?  Get ready quickly; we must be off before they have a chance to see you.”

“What is going on?” Rebecca asked quietly, as she doubled back to grab her sword from her bedside.

“I’ll explain everything on the way.  For now, we have to leave the castle.  Pull your hood up and come with me.”

Rebecca strapped her weapon to her waist, covered herself with her cloak, and followed her father out into the hall.  Kyros led her silently through the empty corridors of the castle and out the back, until they came to a large brick wall.

“Climb over.  I’ll meet you on the other side.”

He offered Rebecca a lift.  She stepped on his clasped hands and he raised her up until she could grab the top ledge of the wall.  With care, she slid over the top and dropped down, bracing herself for the fall.

She landed on soft grass on the other side - not what Rebecca had been expecting.  Since everyone was busy at the front gates, there was no one around in the area Kyros had lead her to.  Still, she didn’t want to look too conspicuous; an armed, cloaked figure loitering outside the royal residence was not a friendly sight.  She ran over to where the castle property transitioned into the cliffs, and waited for her father to make his appearance.

A few minutes later, Kyros arrived, just as he promised.  Without a word, he grabbed her hand and led her farther down the cliffs, towards the water.  When they had nearly reached the bottom, Rebecca paused.

“We’ve got to be far enough away by now.  Please, tell me what’s going on!  Why are all of those people here?”

Kyros frowned.  “I can’t.  It’s a surprise.”

“A surprise?!”  Rebecca was shocked.

“Shh!”

“No, you can’t shush me - I was afraid for my life, and you’re telling me this is some kind of birthday surprise?  Give me a minute to catch my breath!”

“I’m sorry, Rebecca!  I didn’t mean to scare you.  It’s probably better that way, though - you kept yourself hidden well because of your fear.  Now the townspeople will really believe you’re d-“

Kyros’ eyes widened when he realized what he had said.

“Believe I’m what.  Dead?  Dad, seriously?  No!”

Rebecca pulled off her hood and stormed back up the cliff.

“Wait, you can’t!” Kyros tugged on the end of her cloak and she tumbled back into him.

“Let me go, dad.  I have to tell those people the truth.  Why would I be dead?”

With a sigh, Kyros gave up on keeping his secret.  “We’re leaving the island, and it’s easier to tell the people that we’ve died in an accident than try to explain why we’re abandoning them to join the revolution.”

“Oh, okay, I understa- WHAT?”

“You always look so lonely, Rebecca, and I thought you’d want to be with your friends, so-“

“So you were just going to run away with me and join the revolutionary army?”

“Don’t worry, I picked out a replacement for myself, and discussed the heir situation with Viola-“

Rebecca embraced her father, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tight.  He gently set a hand on her head.

“Does this mean you’re okay with my decision?  If you want to stay, there’s still time…”

Rebecca shook her head.  “You’re telling me I can live a life of adventure at sea with my friends, and still stay by your side?  There’s no way I’d say no to that.”

Kyros smiled at his daughter, and she… began to climb the cliffs again.

“Wait, I thought we were leaving together!”  he called.

“We are,” said Rebecca, “but first, I want to announce my plans to the people of Dressrosa.  I’m not going to lie to them.  I want them to be proud of their princess!  Besides, they’re not exactly bad at keeping secrets, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I wouldn’t be able to change your mind if I wanted to, would I?” With a sigh, Kyros began following his daughter back up the cliffs toward the castle.


	11. Chapter 11

“I hate being away from the ship for so long,” Koala complained.  “It’s not that I don’t enjoy travelling, but I miss the routine.  And seeing everyone’s faces.  Oh, and living with someone who can actually cook.”

“Hey,” Sabo said, “am I really that bad?”

“Terrible.  But it’s okay; we have Iva and company to cook for us again!”

“And I’ll have a new letter to read.  Or a couple, perhaps.  That would be nice.”

“You can daydream about your princess after lunch,” said Koala.

She led the way as they climbed up from the small sloop they had borrowed for their latest trip, onto the revolutionary army’s main ship.

“Welcome back, Koala sweetie, Sabo boy!”  Ivankov greeted his comrades.  At his side, Inazuma bowed politely at them. Sabo and Koala made a beeline for the galley, but Inazuma cut Sabo off.

“It is best if you go to your office first, chief.  Our commander has something important to discuss with you.”

“Enjoy your lunch, Koala,” said Sabo, tipping his hat.

“Enjoy writing to your girlfriend!”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Sabo muttered, but Koala was already long gone.

He shrugged and did as Inazuma suggested, heading directly to his office.  _Never a dull moment for the chief of staff, is there?_ he thought.  _I just got back and I’ve already got more work.  This can’t be good._

Like clockwork, Sabo turned the doorknob, stepped inside, and hung up his hat.  It wasn’t until he began unbuttoning his overcoat that he realized there was something unusual going on in the room.

“Hello, Sabo.  Long time no see!”  Rebecca exclaimed, grinning.  She had found a seat at Sabo’s desk.  Kyros and Dragon stood beside her.

Sabo was too confused to respond.  For a moment, he could only look at the girl sitting in his seat, then up at his commander, then over at the stern soldier at Dragon’s side.  He repeated this cycle a few times before Dragon finally spoke up.

“These two have come a long way from Dressrosa to join our cause.  I think you’ll agree: the two greatest warriors in Corrida Colosseum’s history will definitely have a place in the army.”

“A-absolutely,” Sabo stuttered.

“Excellent,” Dragon replied, smiling.  “But you are the Chief of Staff, Sabo, so it is up to you to offer them positions…”

From behind the desk, Rebecca stood up and walked around to properly greet her friend.  With a careful glance back to Kyros, who nodded a quiet approval, Sabo stepped forward and met her with a warm hug.

“Welcome to the Revolution, Rebecca,” he said, and then rested his hands on her shoulders.  “It looks like I get to be present for your naming ceremony after all.”


End file.
